A poor man’s wife is dying of an unusual illness. Medication is available that will prevent her death and allow her to live a normal life, but the man cannot afford to buy it. He appeals to doctors, pharmacists, church groups, and government officials for money, but they all refuse him. As his wife’s health continues to decline, the man, in desperation, breaks into a pharmacy and steals the medication. Is his conduct ethically correct? Should he be prosecuted? Explain your answer.
All the Federal and State policies ad governances are basically to ensure the peace in the nation and work for the well-being of the citizens. Unfortunately, due to the ever rising population and migration, the Health policies of the country is yet to be more affordable to the citizens. Although the Government attempts to cover all through various schemes, there are still some loopholes in the system that makes the poor person deprived from availing the best medical treatment in the society. It is this helplessness of the poor man in the case, who approached even the Government officials, that led him to undertake this illegal activity. Ethically speaking, barging into a pharmacy and stealing the medication, cannot be justified. It is wrong. However, it is the circumstances that made this poor man a thief of sort. His initial approaches were formal but went unheard. He was aware stealing is wrong as much as he was about the availability of the medicines that could cure his wife. It was this ethical dilemma that made him undertake and ethically and legally incorrect action. However, since the Government also did not made its efforts to care genuinely for the well being of the citizens living below the poverty line, I think prosecuting him may not be the answer to his act. A level of empathy is needed here. Perhaps, an insurance coverage for the theft and a notional punishment or a warning should be enough in the first case. There have been various parties in the picture who failed to response to this poor man’s requests appropriately. It is perhaps the outburst of this act that prompted the poor man to steal. When public’s well-being is in picture, some amount of leniency could be expected from the Court of Law as well. Here, the poor man’s intention was not wrong but only the circumstances made him the victim.
A poor man’s wife is dying of an unusual illness. Medication is available that will prevent...
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